The Scars Under Our Clothes
by FollowTheLightHome
Summary: Haruka clutched at her turtleneck with a deep frown, "Everyone has scars under their clothes, Gaara. Some are visible, some are not. Some will heal and be forgotten, others will be reopened until blood has run dry. We've both been hurt. I lost everything that night and I can see that you did too." Gaara pondered what Naruto, and now Haruka, had just revealed to him. GaaraxOC
1. Prologue: Run

Prologue: Run

_Little Haruka ducked under the sturdy sculpting table when her house began to crumble. She quivered, knowing exactly what was happening. What could have finally set him off? What terror had his father inflicted this time?_

_Sand was blown into the house and into her desert brown eyes, making the orbs water. It had felt like hours while she was just trembling under the table. She'd never been afraid of him before, but it was hard not to be right now._

_When the tremors outside died down, Haruka worked up the courage to look for her mom and dad. She was already in the sculpting room, so she went to their bedroom. _

_Haruka had some trouble getting through the rubble. She was only seven; she hadn't even started to learn any ninja skills. She did her best not to ponder the deathly silence of her own house._

_The door to the bedroom was broken, so she climbed over it while trying to avoid splinters. Her eyes scanned the room. _

_"Daddy!" Haruka yelled when she saw a lean figure under two ceilings' worth of rocks. She rushed to him. The man groaned and looked up at his daughter._

_"Ha...ruka?" He asked hesitantly, not trusting his eyes._

_"Daddy, where's Momma?" Haruka looked around frantically. Then, with a sudden clarity, Haruka had remembered her mother had gone out to get something at the store she'd forgotten. She worried for her mommy, but knew she had to help her daddy first._

_She got closer and attempted to pull the rocks off her dad. Her eyes watered even more and her arms started to hurt as she made no progress in pulling the large boulders off her dad._

_"Haruka... It's okay," he told her. No, she thought, it was not okay. She wasn't strong enough to help her daddy._

_"Oh!" She exclaimed. "I know! I'll go get Ga-kun, Daddy! He can get you out!" She turned to leave before he stopped her._

_"Wait, Haruka... I'm sorry, but it's too late. I need you to do something for me before I pass on..." Her dad pleaded with her. She turned back to him with tears in her eyes. "Listen... Listen closely, Haruka. In the drawer... there's a kunai and... and a book. Go get them."_

_Haruka scurried over and followed her father's instructions. She tried to open the book._

_"It won't open, Daddy!"_

_"It will open when you become a true kunoichi. Now, you have to end my suffering, Haruka. Only you can do that." He grunted in pain. "Take the kunai and kill me, Haruka. I can't be saved. I don't want to hurt anymore."_

_"But, Daddy!" Tears leaked rapidly from her eyes. "I can't!"_

_"You must! Find... ugh... find your mother and... and go somewhere safe. Go... go to Konoha. Run and be safe. That is my wish."_

_Haruka couldn't help but shake as she steeled herself. She'd do anything for her daddy. She thought she'd choke on her spit when she felt a lump form in her throat. She approached her father, taking him in for the last time._

_Blood matted her dad's messy hair, which was a dirty brown similar to her own. His usually bright yellow eyes were dulled. Haruka always wondered how he got them after he said his eyes were originally green._

_When she was close enough, her dad helped her position the kunai above his heart. She closed her eyes and pushed with all her strength. Haruka felt the kunai make contact and felt it stop in something squishy. She opened her eyes to a bloody scene, noticing her father's eyes were now empty jade orbs. She gripped the kunai and the book. Then, she ran._

_Haruka ran around the whole village, ignoring her fatigue. She had to find Mommy. Daddy said she had to. _

_She finally came to the entrance of the village, only to find something she never wanted to see._

_A woman with suntanned skin was sprawled on the ground, eyes wide open and fearful. Blood was dripping out of her mouth like drool. A pile of sand was slowly collapsing. She got closer and noticed the sand's original shape was similar to a spear, and it was sticking right out of her mother's stomach._

_Haruka clenched her fist around the kunai and book. That was unforgivable. Her daddy said to go with her mom and now she couldn't. She had to go on alone. _

_She bowed her head, hair concealing her expression. _

_"I'll run, Daddy. I'll run." Just as she said those words, Haruka turned to Suna's gates and ran._

_She never turned back._


	2. Wrong

Chapter 1: Wrong

**A/N: Hello! Wow, that response was really fast. I hope you guys like this chapter too. My writing style might be a bit rusty at the moment since I'd lost my muse for a good while, but it should get back up to speed pretty quickly.**

I closed my eyes and focused. I reached out to my chakra and pushed it towards my right leg.

When I felt there was a sufficient amount, I slammed my foot down on the ground, pushing up a chunk of rock and soil. It wasn't a big chunk, but it was enough for what I really wanted to practice. I caught the rock easily. I checked my distance. I was 15 feet away from the tree trunk I was aiming for

I quickly sent chakra to my mouth. Throwing the rock up, I rapidly sent off a breath of air at it. I watched as a kunai was formed through the rock and flew forward, only to fall short about a foot away from the target.

"Dammit, I thought I'd gotten it that time." I frowned.

I walked over to the stone kunai and picked it up. I carefully studied the weapon. The point was certainly sharp enough, but one side looked to be a few centimeters too wide. I figured that must have been why it hadn't gone farther. The lopsided kunai wasn't able to be aerodynamic.

I sighed. At least it was better than before. I looked up and watched a flock of birds fly under the cloudless sky.

"I think I'll take a break," I said to myself. I pocketed the kunai and headed back into town.

I walked around, just enjoying the day. It seemed like so much had changed about me since I'd gotten here. From my short, unnecessarily messy hair to my growth spurt up to 5'1 to my now mysteriously yellow eye. I ghosted a hand over my left eye. It looked just like my father's. I shook myself out of my thoughts.

I first headed to Ichiraku to see if Naruto was there to keep me company. The blond was annoying and too much sometimes, but for some reason his optimism was contagious. He always managed to give me a boost without realizing it.

"How're you doing guys?" I asked Teuchi and Ayame.

"We're doing just fine," Teuchi replied. "Looking for Naruto? I saw him go past with a square rock chasing after him."

That made me pause. The arched eyebrow on my face made Ayame confirm what Teuchi had said with a nod.

"It's true. I saw it too."

"I don't feel any chakra lingering, so that square rock wasn't formed with a jutsu. I bet it was that Konohamaru kid. He and Naruto might as well be related with how alike they are." I smiled at the two, "Thanks for the info. I'll come by later, kay?"

They smile back and nod. I leave, as does the smile I'd put on for them. I sighed, I wondered if they were genuinely nice or actually thought of me as the sand child like so many of the other villagers. I decided to abandon that train of thought as I searched for Naruto's chakra.

I headed home when I realized Naruto was no where to be found. The quaint house had been a gift from Lord Third after I had been found half-dead right outside the village. I cooked up some miso soup and brought it to my room. Setting it down, I reached under my small bed and pulled out a book.

The cover was a blank beige and faded to almost white from age. After five years, I still couldn't open it. I even looked up all the sealing jutsu that could have been cast on it. I halfheartedly tried to open it, but it just wouldn't budge.

I put the book back in its place and ate my soup. It had cooled down considerably while I had spaced out again. I scolded myself. That sort of absentmindedness was unacceptable in a shinobi.

I took a deep breath and finished off my soup. Leaving the bowl on my nightstand, I left the house to see Lord Third for a mission. I hoped there was a job that didn't involve pulling up weeds. I always got yelled at for pulling up the crops instead.

_Not my fault I lived in the desert. The only plants I know are cacti!_

I heard a certain someone yelling something about being cool and hating Sasuke. I sweatdropped.

_Sounds like I finally found Naruto..._

I jogged over to the group. Naruto was there with the rest of Team 7 along with Konohamaru's 'squad'. Naruto seemed to be yelling at some visitors that had strong and faintly familiar chakra signatures. The enormity of one signature seemed odd and somewhat similar to Naruto's. Sakura looked nervous and Sasuke seemed to be assessing the intruders.

"Naruto! Don't be rude! Yelling doesn't solve anything." I walked up to scold him further only to stop in my tracks. I looked at the visitors and my fists clenched tightly.

Right before me were the Kazekage's children, with a certain redhead at the front. My jaw tightened and a look of pure fury crossed my face for a half-second before I feigned a smile. "I'm sorry about Naruto, you three. He gets too energetic for his own good sometimes."

The two genin in the back seemed confused by my informal speech. I noted how grown up they now were. Kankuro now hid his brown hair with traditional puppeteer clothes and wore purple face paint to look more intimidating. Temari's blonde hair was in double pigtails and she now carried a huge fan on her back. I focused my attention on the redhead. He was stoic and seemed threatening despite his height, but I wasn't afraid. I could feel how cold his chakra was, but I would never be afraid.

"What's going on?" Naruto seemed just as confused as Kankuro and Temari.

"It's been awhile, huh, Gaara?" I said casually. His eyes turned to slits. "You haven't forgotten me, have you? Though, I guess I look pretty different."

"I don't know you," he turned away.

"I had hoped you'd remember your only friend."

I saw his head turn back a fraction and felt his eyes look me over.

"Yep, I'm Haruka."

Gaara's chakra flared angrily. He sent his sand at me, but I countered with my Breath Style, sending sand kunai back at him. His sand protected him like always, but his eyes were wide.

"It's true, Gaara. You can't fake the Kishimoto Breath Style." I dropped the act.

"You're dead." He stated

"No, Gaara. My parents are dead." I growled. He didn't even flinch.

"You've changed."

"Actually, by the looks of things, you're the one who has changed."

His sand shot out at me again. I jumped back several times to avoid it. Temari and Kankuro took a step away from Gaara with wide eyes and chakra spiking out of fear. Gaara merely narrowed his eyes.

"Everything about you is wrong now, Gaara. Maybe the others were right all along," I was the one who turned away this time. "You are just a little monster." I walked away, but had to spin around to slice away more sand with the kunai I'd made earlier. "Don't be petty, Gaara. I've always said what I thought, even if it hurt."

Gaara glared at me and said in his grainy voice, "The first chance I get, I'll take joy in killing you."

"Good luck with that, Gaara-kun!" I said in a sickly sweet voice before walking off.

Naruto ran after me and walked beside me. He let me fume for a few moments.

"What was that about, Haruka?"

"Nothing."

"That didn't look like nothing," he insisted.

"I don't want to talk about it. Drop it, Naruto."

"But, Haruka-"

Naruto barely dodged the punch I threw.

"I said, drop it." I let my arm fall to my side. "I need to train. I'll be at the usual place if someone needs me." I began to leave, but turned back to Naruto. "Hey, Naruto?"

"Yeah, Haruka?"

"Why the hell are they here to begin with?" I asked as my mind began to regain sense. I cursed my actions. Rash and hot-headed were not good traits for a kunoichi.

"They said something about the chunin exams, whatever those are."

"I see," was my reply before walking back to the training grounds.

_I didn't realize the chunin exams were going to start soon. I need to find a way to get in. I wonder if they'll let me join a team or do it on my own. I'd be better off on my own, but it's unlikely if Kakashi has anything to say about it with his whole teamwork-is-important thing goin' on._

I once again stood in front of the target stump and took a deep breath to center myself. _Either way, I've got to get stronger if I plan on facing Gaara. Especially since his chakra signature is so huge. It's interesting to know he can protect himself against his own sand; I can use that knowledge to my advantage. There's no point in using a tactic that won't work after all._

I pushed another chunk of rock up from the ground. _Still, I won't just be facing him if I can participate. I need to practice my rock kunai. It makes me miss the desert to think how easy it was to shape that sand._

I formed the appropriate hand signs and focused my chakra. _Either way, no time like the present to practice._

I worked until the next day's light appeared in the sky.

**A/N: Done! I feel like their meeting was a bit forced and rushed, but it needed to get done and Gaara will obviously have more screen time in the future. Also, I'd like to take this time to explain the Kishimoto family's kekkei genkai. It's not something that is really activated like the Byakugan or Sharingan, but instead is used continuously. A Kishimoto has enlarged chakra pathways in their lungs. This grants them the ability to merge their breath with the chakra and transfer it into a medium like sand or rock. The user, however, has to shape the chakra in order to make any sort of object out of the medium. So, it's kind of hard to learn on your own. Also, like the Byakugan or Sharingan, taking the organ, in this case a Kishimoto's lungs, will grant the new owner's the same power. Kishimoto's can also hold their breath much longer than others and it is a common misconception to believe they can breathe underwater because of it. There might be more to explain later on, but for now this should be a full enough explanation.**


	3. Meditation

**A/N: So, I realized that I never explained Haruka's last name on FFN since I'd explained it on tumblr. So, here goes:**

**Yes, I know Naruto's creator is Kishimoto. No, I did not know that when I created Haruka. No, I will not change it just because of coincidence. Haruka is who she is, and I do appreciate those who pointed it out so I could explain it. I also appreciate everyone who reviewed, alerted, and favorited my fic. Thanks guys! Enjoy chapter 2! :) **

Chapter 2: Meditation

"Where the hell is that guy? Can't he ever be on time?" I complained. Kakashi had asked Team 7 and me to meet him on the bridge this morning, but an hour and a half had already passed since the meeting time.

"Yeah," Sakura agreed, "I didn't even have time to dry my hair this morning!"

I frowned at such a meaningless complaint.

"And I didn't have time to brush my teeth or change my underwear!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Ew, Naruto! That's gross," Sakura's nose scrunched up.

"Yeah, way too much information, Naruto. Wake up earlier next time," I scolded. "I just hate waiting for that guy. I have training to do." I huffed and Naruto nodded along. It was true, I was _this_ close to mastering the rock kunai. Yet, here I was, wasting time with these idiots to wait for the similarly idiotic jonin who could never be on time. His antics made it impossible for me to ever call Kakashi my sensei.

Out of nowhere, said idiot appeared over the bridge's archway. "Sorry I'm late, you four, I got lost on the path of life."

"Like hell you did!" Naruto, Sakura, and I yelled in unison. Kakashi jumped off the arch.

"Now, now, don't be like that. I brought all of you something." He handed us all a piece of paper. "It's a form to participate in the chunin exams."

Naruto instantly brightened and hugged Kakashi. I rolled my eyes as Kakashi tried to get him off. I turned my attention to the piece of paper.

I was surprised they actually wanted me in the exams. I thought I'd have to ask the hokage himself. _Maybe they want to keep tabs on how strong I've gotten without arousing suspicion. The hokage does know about my sensing skills and kekkei genkai... Well, whatever. It doesn't matter at this point. Maybe this will make me a true shinobi. I'll probably face Gaara too._

"Count me in, who do I give this to?"

At this point, Kakashi had finally gotten Naruto off him. "Report to room 301 at the academy exactly one week from now. The choice is up to the individual. So, think hard about whether you want to do this."

"Please, I know I more than want to do this. I'll be there."

Kakashi nodded. "Don't get too cocky, Haruka. You're a rookie and there'll be plenty of repeat participants with more experience."

"I'll blow'em away, Kakashi."

Kakashi raised a brow at the horrible pun, but didn't comment.

"Well, I've got things to do, so I'll leave you guys to decide on your own." He held up his hand, "See ya!" In a flash, he jumped away.

I began to walk away from the three,"See you in a week, losers. That is, if you think you're prepared to face me."

"You're on, Haruka!" Naruto replied. I smirked.

I made my way into town and looked at the paper again. I didn't need to think about it. I would become a chunin easily.

A bulky man with a crooked nose bumped into me as I looked over the form.

"Watch it," even his voice sounded ugly. He sneered, "Damn sand child."

My eyes narrowed and my expression morphed into a snarl. "What'd you say, asshole?"

He shoved me, "You heard me, Sand Child. I hear your buddies are in town. Gonna tell'em all about the leaf?" A crowd was beginning to form.

They began to whisper, about how the _sand child_ was starting a fight. I ground my teeth.

_This bastard doesn't know who he's messing with. _I made the sign of the horse and took a deep breath. _Let's see if this guy likes chopped liver!_

I was about to breath out until someone suddenly grabbed me by my collar from behind. I twisted my head around to see the meddler. I scowled.

"What do you want, Iruka?"

"Do you want to be arrested? And it's Iruka-_sensei_. At least try to be respectful," he scolded me like I was a child.

"I'm respectful to people I respect, and it's not like the rest of the village doesn't want me locked up." I huffed and glared at him. Iruka held onto me and jumped away from the scene to the academy playground.

"You don't need to give them that satisfaction then. I thought we settled this, Haruka." He let me down and put his hands on his hips.

"It'd be settled if they stopped calling me the god damn sand child. I'm not a spy. The leaf has a freaking alliance with the sand!" I took a deep breath.

"You came at really sensitive time. Everyone outside the village was considered untrustworthy and some villagers just haven't let go of that."

My scowl deepened, "So you're gonna make excuses for them? You think that freaking justifies anything?" I was yelling now, but I didn't care.

"That's not what I'm saying!"

I turned away, "I'm done. I don't care what you have to say. Just stay the hell away from me."

I jumped off and sprinted to the only place I'd find peace: the training grounds. I decided meditating would be a good idea.

When I reached the grounds, I settled under a tree and got comfortable. I sorted through my thoughts.

Iruka had been right. All I'd done was further prove the villagers' point. I realized I should be grateful Iruka stopped me before I'd killed that ignorant man. The man didn't deserve to die, even if he was ugly and an ass. It just hurt to think, after five years, everyone still saw me as an outsider.

But, I knew Iruka didn't feel that way. I hoped he didn't. The folks at Ichiraku liked me too, though being a frequent customer could have a hand in that. Kakashi at least put up with me and Naruto wasn't too bad when he didn't annoy me.

Still, none of them could really be trusted. I can't count the number of times I'd been attacked after I came to the leaf. As for Naruto, there was something odd about him that bothered me, other than his massive chakra reserves. Something about his chakra reminded me of Gaara, and that put me off more than anything.

Well, it didn't matter. Only I could make myself a true shinobi. It had nothing to do with anyone else and I wanted to keep it that way.


	4. Maneki Neko

**A/N: Sorry I took down Meetings. I realized I'd skipped an important part. I've started to go back over the chunin exam episodes to help me avoid that again.**

Chapter 3: Maneki Neko

I stood up and stretched. I needed to stop thinking and start training. I pulled at my turtleneck and cursed the leaf's weather. Not only did it get hot, but it got humid in the leaf too. Still, I refused to give up my usual outfit.

I was just about to begin training when I sensed something was off. The birds weren't chirping anymore and the wind had gotten harsher. I got into a defensive position and tried to pinpoint any chakra. For once, I had absolutely no luck.

Out of nowhere, a rain ninja appeared. His eyes glinted with amusement, but I was sure whatever was about to happen wouldn't be funny.

"So, you're the infamous sand child? I expected a bit more, but rumors are rumors after all."

I ground my teeth. I tried to disguise my anger with a smile.

"Oh? What've you heard about me? That I'm strong? Awesome? Amazingly cool?"

"Nothing about being modest," he smirked. "It seems you're not as strong as you'd like to think. I suggest you forget about the chunin exams."

"Like hell! You don't scare me!"

"Oh, but I should. Your friends will be next after you. Though, I suppose if you won't be persuaded then I'd best move on. Perhaps to that blond one? The pink-haired one seems easy to break. The black-haired one might be a fun challenge though," the ninja mused.

"Okay," I said outright. "Have fun!"

The rain ninja's eyes narrowed, but jumped away. I smirked and followed close behind. I broke a branch off a tree and breathed it into a kunai. I was thankful wood was much easier than rock to change.

To my alarm, I felt Naruto near that rain ninja. I sped up my pace and landed in a small clearing.

"Haruka!" Naruto ran over. "Haruka, have you seen a creepy guy with this weird hat and-"

"Do you mean the rain ninja? Did he do something?" My eyes narrowed. How could he have worked so fast?

"Yeah! He kidnapped Moegi! I saved her, but he got away." He huffed.

I closed my eyes and searched out the rain ninja. He was close by.

"I'll get him."

"Wait! You might need help!"

I glared at him, but he didn't back down.

"Fine, just don't get in my way," I told him. I led the way to yet another clearing, where the ninja was waiting with his weapons at the ready.

"Goodbye!" He threw up an umbrella.

"You're gonna hurt us with an umbrella?" Naruto laughed. I did not. I knew exactly what that was really hiding. That umbrella was really full of kunai.

"Get out of the way!" I yelled. He became confused and I knew I had to act fast before the kunai hit him.

I jumped in front of him and tried to deflect as many as possible with the wood weapon I'd made earlier. I failed to deflect them all and the metal kunai chipped the wood one. The ones I didn't deflect I just barely managed to avoid impact, excluding some cuts on my face.

"I thought you didn't care, sand child. What happened to being okay with me hurting them?"

"I figured they could handle you. Thinking about it, Naruto would've survived that attack. I don't need to defend them most of the time."

"So, you do care about them. Now I wonder what you'd do for the other two."

"Haruka'd do whatever it'd take to help them," Naruto answered.

"Look, no one has to die here, but I'll have to kill you if you insist on putting the people of the leaf at risk!"

"I see... Well, then I'll leave for now, but I still suggest you not participate in the exams. You might not survive."

"I don't know about that." I grinned, "Want to know the easiest medium for the breath style?" I bit my forefingers hard, causing them to bleed. I made the sign of the horse and let the blood gather between my fingers. I took a breath.

_Blood needle!_ I breathed out, making a sharp needle form from my blood and fly towards the ninja. It was aimed right for his neck. Getting the guy interrogated was more important than killing him.

The needle hit it's mark. The ninja began to fall back, but poofed away right before it hit the ground.

"He was a clone this whole time? No wonder I had a hard time tracking him, he put almost no chakra into his clone!" I sighed. "This means I have to train more. I would think it'd be easier since his chakra is familiar. We probably passed each other sometime while he was stalking us."

"Yeah, but you showed him, Haruka! Though, I was about to do that myself. Believe it!"

"Sure. Next time, don't just assume that I'd want to help you guys. I have more important things to do than babysit you losers."

"You don't have to be mean about it!" Naruto scowled.

"Whatever. I have to get back to training, but I guess I'll see you in a week." I turned away and jumped off, wondering who that ninja really was.

_I know I was around that chakra earlier today. The clone just had almost no chakra. That means he knew about my sensing abilities. _I continued to jump through the forest. _I don't have time to work on my senses though. I need to master this jutsu before the exams start._ My stomach growled. _Maybe I should get some food first though..._

I turned to leave the forest. I'd have to take the high route to get to Ichiraku to avoid anymore incidents. I took to the roofs as I got out of the forest. I followed my nose all the way to Ichiraku.

_Yum. Their ramen is the best! I don't know how Naruto can eat it everyday, though. That's just plain weird_.

I jumped down off the roof and ducked under the noren curtains.

"Hey, you two," I greeted. I sat down. "How're things going?" I figured I might as well make some small talk.

Teuchi smiled, "Pretty good. Although I heard there was a disturbance down the road this afternoon."

I flushed. "Oh? Really? I wonder what could've happened..."

Teuchi gave me a look that said, 'I know exactly what it was'. Still, he didn't comment.

"Here," Ayame put down a bowl in front of me. "We figured you'd come around soon. So, your usual is already done."

"Oh, uh, thanks." I nervously tugged at my turtleneck. "Itadakimasu," I started on my ramen. "Mmmm... This is the best!"

"Consider it on the house today. You look like you need it," Teuchi insisted.

"I... Thank you, Teuchi-san. You too, Ayame-san, thank you."

They just nodded and went back to work. I took that cue and went back to eating.

_Maybe... maybe I'm not just a customer to them._

I soon found myself with an empty bowl and a full stomach. I stood up and Ayame took the bowl away. I smiled at her.

"Would you wait a moment, Haruka?" She asked as she went to the back. She came back holding something in her hand. "It's a little cliché, but we heard about the chunin exams. You're participating, right?" She opened up her hand to reveal a maneki neko statue. "We thought you could use some luck."

"Thank you," I picked up the small statue gently. "I'll keep it with me. I'm sure it'll come in handy."

They nodded at me and I waved goodbye. I looked back at the maneki neko. It was pink and about the size of my thumb. I smiled at it. I pocketed the statue and left to go back to my training.

I sped through the forest, eager to get back. I stopped. The sound of a hurt animal reached my ears when I was almost at the grounds. I jumped down to investigate.

I followed the noise to the base of a nearby tree. I crouched down and noticed some wiggling dirt.

It turned out, it wasn't wiggling dirt, it was a wiggling cat with dirt on top of it. I gingerly wiped away the dirt to find a dark-furred tabby. I noticed it was thin and its leg was bleeding too. I bit my lip; I had a terribly soft spot for cats.

I put my hand out and let the tabby sniff it before I slowly pet the feline's head. The thing was dying, that I was sure of. I was surprised the thing was even moving.

"You got one hell of a will, huh, little guy? If only..." A thought came into my head. I clutched at the maneki neko statue in my pocket. "Maybe..."


	5. Meetings

Chapter 3: Meetings

I wiped the sweat from my brow, smiling at the rock kunai I was holding. Ever since the incident six days ago, I've avoided town, other than to eat at Ichiraku and go home, and focused on practicing. I worked until my stomach or fatigue couldn't be ignored and repeated that cycle daily. After all the work I'd put in, I shaved off those few centimeters that made the kunai unbalanced.

It was frustrating sometimes how difficult the breath style was. I'd been practicing this one jutsu for years because one has to shape one's chakra for it to make anything out of the target. The shape of the chakra one breathes out must be precise and it can take years to even learn to shape chakra, but the rock kunai jutsu wasn't the only thing I was aiming for though.

The breath style is meant to be used in tandem with some sort of medium, whether it be rock, sand, clay, or the like. However, there is one advanced jutsu that disregards the need for a medium: the breath blade jutsu.

"Sigh," I said melodramatically. That one was a long way off. I was sure that jutsu was essential to becoming a true shinobi, but first came the chunin exams. I pocketed the kunai and headed home.

I jumped along roofs under the night sky, ready for a good night's sleep. I stopped. My eyes moved to look across to the roof of a hotel. I knew I'd felt his chakra

Gaara was there, staring at the sky. His gaze slowly slid down to lock with my own. I felt like I was in the middle of some dramatic showdown. A battle of guts, who'd break contact first.

The glaring contest went on for some time before Gaara looked back at the sky. His interest had apparently waned. I frowned.

"Watch yourself, Gaara. I won't hold back if we go against each other. Enjoy your time here; these next few days may be your last." I gave him a pointed stare, but he continued to look at the sky. He spoke right before I was going to leave.

"I look forward to killing you." He refocused on me, a chill went up my spine at his change in chakra. "I will prove my existence."

I started to wonder if he'd gone crazy, but dismissed the thought and left for home. I had to get to sleep so I'd be ready for anything tomorrow. There was no room for mistakes and for once I wouldn't have any stupid team holding me back.

I made it to the academy decently early, but the group of genin walking in told me I wasn't the only one raring to go. I spotted orange, blue, and red clothes. I walked over, feeling the excitement and nervousness in my occasional teammates' chakra.

_This test'll be easy if everyone's chakra is as easy as theirs to read._

"Hey, you three!" I smirked, "So you're all taking it, huh?" I scanned all three of them, gaze landing solidly on Sakura. Ever since last week, her chakra, and expression for that matter, was one of nervousness. I was actually a little impressed with her for taking the risk.

"You bet, Haruka!" Naruto grinned. "We're gonna ace this exam!"

Naruto was definitely excited, but was for once not jumping around like a monkey. The look in his eyes told me he was ready for anything. Sasuke was still acting calm and seemed to be in a good mood this morning. He wasn't arrogantly telling Naruto about how he would become chunin and Naruto would stay a genin or something. I was impressed with them too, for a moment.

"You'd better. Good luck," I said genuinely. Sakura and Naruto seemed to be visibly surprised, and Sasuke seemed wary of my motives. "What? I'm not a totally horrible person. You've all gotten decently strong, so I'll have fun beating you if you try your hardest!" I winked at them. Naruto smiled again.

"Why don't we all go in together?" He suggested.

"Why not?" I shrugged. I put a hand in my pocket and thumbed over the maneki neko statue. I'd brought it along just in case.

"Feeling nervous?" Sasuke taunted.

"Nope. You?" I shot back. He just smiled and began walking. I rolled my eyes. Some things never change.

Speaking of never changing, Naruto got excited all over again and started running for the academy doors. I shook my head and sighed. The chunin exams would certainly be interesting.


	6. Registration

Chapter 5: Registration

As the three of us walked up to the second floor, we came upon a mass of genin crowded at a door. The sign next to it read '301'.

_We're on the second floor. All these idiots fell for such a stupid genjutsu._ I exchanged a look with Sasuke.

We approached the two boys blocking the door. I narrowed my eyes at the bowl-cut boy they'd knocked down.

"We're just trying to help out. We failed this exam three times. If you can't handle us, you'll never pass," they told him.

Sasuke walked up to them. "Nice speech," he said, "But move it, and while you're at it you should get rid of that genjutsu. I'm sure you noticed first, Sakura. You do have the sharpest eyes on our team."

Sakura seemed surprised for a moment. I realized Sasuke was trying encourage her. I smiled when Sakura recovered.

"Of course," she affirmed, "It can't be room 301 since we're only on the second floor!"

As if those were the magic words, the genjutsu dispersed and the sign changed back to normal. I looked over to Sakura. She had her chin held up and her shoulders were no longer slumped.

_I guess people like Sakura need encouragement._

"So, you saw through a little illusion. Let's see you handle this!" One of the boys went to kick Sasuke and Sasuke moved to counter it.

I registered a chakra spike and suddenly bowl-cut boy was standing between the two boys, holding onto their feet with an iron grip.

_I knew his chakra was too strong for him to be getting beaten like that._

Bowl-cut boy let go and breathed out. Sasuke and the other kid relaxed their stances. I turned my attention to the bowl-cut boy's teammates.

"What happened to the plan?" A boy with long brown hair tied at the end asked gruffly. I recognized his pale, pupil-less eyes as those of the Hyuuga clan. This was a boy to be careful of. "It was your idea to keep a low profile and not show everyone our skill level."

"I know, but..." Bowl-cut boy replied. The last teammate, a girl with her hair in two buns on top of her head, sighed.

"What's done is done," she said.

It was then I noticed that bowl-cut boy was staring straight at Sakura with a really strange look on his face.

_Is he sick or something?_

"My name is Rock Lee," he said as he boldly approached Sakura. "You're Sakura, right?"

Sakura seemed incredibly confused. She wasn't the only one. I was wondering why his chakra was all over the place.

"Please be my girlfriend! I vow to protect you with my life!"

I absolutely burst out laughing when Sakura immediately rejected him. Lee didn't seem amused. I calmed down after a minute.

"What?" I asked when I realized they were looking at me strangely. "I just thought it was funny." I focused on Lee, "I mean, we're here to become chunin and you're trying to get a girlfriend. I almost thought you'd be a threat for a second there, but having strength without seriousness is like having legs without feet."

"I promise you I am quite serious about this exam." He stood tall. I raised a brow.

"Hey, you," Lee's male teammate faced Sasuke, "What's your name?"

I could practically see Naruto burning on the inside.

"It's rude to ask for someone's name before giving yours."

"Look, Lee, right?" I waited for Lee's nod. "Here's some tips to become a better ninja: One, lose the bowl-cut, you look ridiculous, two, try wearing something other than green, and three, give up on any illusions you might have of getting a girlfriend."

"Your not a very pleasant person, are you?" He retorted. I just smirked.

"You guys are rookies, aren't you? How old are you anyway?" Lee's teammate continued his questions.

"I'm not obliged to answer," Sasuke replied.

"And I'm not obliged to care," I told Lee. "I don't have to be pleasant. I just have to be strong."

The two boys were not happy, though the girl seemed to amused.

I looked away and noticed Naruto sulking.

"No one wants to know my name..."

I sweatdropped at his antics.

_It's not like you won't shout it to the world anyways..._

Sakura smiled. "Sasuke, Naruto, Haruka, let's go." She grabbed Naruto and Sasuke's hands and gestured for me to follow. I nodded in response.

Chakra diffused nearby, but I ignored it. All that mattered now was that I was going to become a chunin and I'd get to do it all on my own.


	7. Teams

Chapter 6: Teams

"WHAT?!" I screeched at the white-haired jonin crouched in front of me.

"It's not that big a deal, Haruka. A chunin needs to know how to lead a team and that requires being on a team in the first place. Besides, you should feel lucky. You're the only four-man team. That gives you an advantage!" Kakashi tried to placate me, but I wouldn't have it.

"It's not an advantage when you're stuck with emo kid, drama queen, and ramen king!" I could almost see the others' veins popping out of their heads.

"Now, now, I had to get special permission from the hokage for you to be here. Besides, the others are pretty strong."

"Yeah, that's why Sakura hit her head dodging Lee's winks and Sasuke and Naruto got their butts handed to them like they were little kids. I'll do better on my own," I insisted. Kakashi's eye narrowed.

"Too bad you can't be on your own. You'd best get used to being on a team, Haruka. The hokage has noticed your improvement and has been thinking about putting you on a team full-time like the other genin."

"A true shinobi doesn't need anyone else!"

"Perhaps, but a true shinobi should also know when they need help or can't win. Both of those apply here." Kakashi ruffled my hair and stood up, signaling the end of the topic.

"I have to team up with a bunch of kids who can't even stand a minute against bowl-cut boy," I grumbled.

"We're the same age as you, Haruka!" Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and made a face. "We're not kids!"

"We're the same age, but we're not the same level. I'll team up with you; just don't drag me down." I could tell the other three were annoyed, but I could care less.

Kakashi moved away from the door to the real room 301. "Good luck, you four. One could never ask for a better team."

_You call this rag-tag group of misfits a team?_

"And, Haruka," Kakashi turned to me, "Maybe you should take this as an opportunity to learn how to cooperate with people."

I growled. That damned Kakashi never gave up on me becoming a team player. The others opened the door and I followed the others as they walked through it.

The four of us came face-to-face with what must have been at least thirty or forty other teams. They all looked nasty and some of them had the chakra to back up their looks. I could tell Gaara was in here too. I gulped.

_Well, maybe some help would be nice..._ I stuck my hand in my pocket and held onto the little maneki neko statue. _Maybe I'll actually need this..._

My thoughts were interrupted by a blonde girl glomping Sasuke. The look on his face was priceless and the fight between Sakura and the girl, Ino, was entertaining.

"I knew this would be a drag," a boy with slumped shoulders and hoop earrings complained.

"Looks like all three stooges are here!" Naruto jumped in.

"Why you, pipsqueak-! Aw, forget it, you're a waste of time."

"Don't start a fight, Naruto. Save the energy for later." I glanced at the boy. "You're Shikamaru, right? The kid who always slept in the back of the class?" I turned to the boy eating chips. "You weren't in my class, but you're an Akimichi, right? You look like one at least."

"What's that supposed to mean?" The Akimichi looked mad.

"You're fat."

The Akimichi fumed. Shikamaru held him back when it looked like he'd attack me.

"Calm down, Choji. She's always been like that, likes to rile people up."

"Actually, I just like to tell the truth, but I suppose it's important to your family's particular jutsu to be a larger than average ninja and eat more."

Choji deflated and looked at me like he wasn't sure if he should still be insulted or not. I yawned.

"Looks like the whole gang is back together!" Another boy from my class, Kiba, approached with his dog. Hinata, a Hyuuga girl who most definitely had a crush on Naruto, and a creeper named Shino followed him.

"Long time, no see, dog-breath," I said.

"And you got mad at me for what happened with the sand weirdos?" Naruto pouted.

"Long time, no see, weird-eye," Kiba retorted. My eye twitched and I clenched my fist.

"I scolded you for yelling. I never scolded you for being mean. Being mean makes me hungry, though. Maybe I should have some grilled canine." I focused on Akamaru. "I heard it's pretty lean meat."

"Don't you even think about it!"

"What happened to not starting a fight, Haruka?" Sasuke finally spoke. I just smirked.

"Hmph, looks like this exam'll be interesting- at least for those of us strong enough to make the cut," Kiba looked to Sasuke.

"Careful you don't get overconfident, Kiba."

I decided to tune out at the point when they started to argue over who trained more. However, I tuned back in when a foreign chakra approached. I searched it out and found a white-haired ninja with glasses.

_There are seriously ninja with glasses? He even looks pathetic, though his chakra says otherwise..._

"You guys should quiet down. You're the rookies, fresh out of the academy, right? You're making a spectacle of yourselves. This isn't a class field trip." He warned. I glanced to the other ninja and noticed them staring. Four-eyes was right.

"Who asked you?" Ino yelled. "Who are you anyway?"

"I'm Kabuto Yakushi. You've made quite an impression on the others."

Finally, the rest of the rookies took notice of the staring ninja.

"This exam makes everyone tense, and you're not helping," Kabuto added.

"He's right," I said. "We've been making fools of ourselves."

"I don't blame you. You're just rookies. You actually remind me of myself."

"This isn't the first time you've taken the exam?" Sakura questioned.

"No... it's my seventh," he admitted. "They're held twice a year, so this'll be my fourth year."

_What a loser. He's failed six times?_

"You must be an expert by now!" Sakura exclaimed.

"You can give us all the inside tips!" Naruto noted.

"Tips on how to fail?" I mumbled. His chakra wiggled. He'd heard me.

"Well, seventh time's the charm, right?"

"I think it's third time," I deadpanned.

"I guess all those rumors about how hard the exam is were true. Man, this is gonna be a huge drag."

"Aw, shut it, Shikamaru. It just makes it more interesting," I told him.

"Yeah, interesting for you maybe. It's still troublesome for me."

"Maybe I can help you guys out a little," Kabuto reached into his hip pouch and pulled out some cards, "With my ninja info cards."

That caught my interest. He explained how they worked and showed us a map of the village distribution. The number of leaf ninja was pretty high up there, but that was to be expected since the chunin exams were taking place here in the leaf itself.

"Do those cards have info on other candidates?"

"Have someone special in mind?"

"Maybe."

"I can't promise my info is perfect, but I've got info on just about everyone. That includes all of you."

"I want to know about Gaara of the Desert, and Rock Lee while you're at it."

I sneered, _I could tell you more about Gaara than this guy_.

Kabuto swiped his hand over the cards and used his chakra to make Lee and Gaara's information appear on the top two cards.

I didn't bother listening to his information on Rock Lee. I knew he was a taijutsu specialist, he'd said so himself and proved it. I wanted to know what he could possibly have on Gaara.

Gaara had apparently not done many things, but he'd come back from a B-rank mission and a bunch of C-ranks. I shook my head at his lack of knowledge.

"He survived every mission without a scratch on him," Kabuto explained to the group.

"That's all you have? I could tell you more about Gaara and his team than your cards."

"Oh, that's right, you were Gaara's friend before you came to the leaf!" Naruto announced.

"What do you know?" Sasuke pressed.

"It won't matter. The most important thing for you to know is to run if you face him, not that it'll do you much good, but you might get away alive."

"Is a short kid like that really so scary?" Naruto wondered.

"Terrifying if he's in the right mood. Just leave him to me. He wasn't showing even a fraction of his strength the other day, so just let me handle him. You won't be able to touch him with his ultimate defense. You know, the sand that protected him before. It acts on automatic, he doesn't have to lift a tendril of chakra. It has chakra of its own."

The rookies gaped at my words.

"No way," Sasuke said.

"All the villages have sent exceptionally strong ninja. Then there's the sound village, it's small and has just sprung up recently. The three from that village are a mystery."

I wondered why I'd never heard of the sound village before. It must have still existed before, but I'd never read a damn thing about it.

"Is it a new village altogether?"

"I don't know. Like I said, they're a mystery. We've got our work cut out for us this year. I've never seen a crop of candidates with this much potential."

I pulled at my turtleneck. Even Naruto seemed nervous now that Kabuto had put it in perspective. At least, it seemed that way until Naruto whirled around to yell at all the other candidates.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I'll beat all of you! Believe it!"

My eye twitched. _Naruto, you imbecile, don't threaten people stronger than you!_ It didn't help that Ino and Sakura started to argue again. Naruto smiled, but the other genin didn't seem amused.

The rest of the rookies seemed even less amused. I couldn't blame them. I sighed as the others scolded him and Sakura put him in a choke-hold.

_If she shows that kind of strength on the battlefield, then perhaps she won't be so bad- was that a chakra spike?_ I scanned the room, but the chakra was moving fast and towards the group. It seemed it was a team, three separate chakra systems were getting excited.

The sound ninja suddenly attacked Kabuto. The kunai and punch missed, yet it still broke his glasses and made him vomit. I gulped; the exam hadn't even started yet and people were already being taken down.

I snapped out of my thoughts when a resounding poof broke the tension and revealed a scar-faced guy. Apparently, he was the proctor, and he was not happy about the sound ninja attacking Kabuto.

_Ibiki Morino, huh? This guy's got very chill chakra, it hasn't even vibrated. If it's moving at all, it's too little for me to notice, unlike the others with their chakra getting all fired up and nervous. I wonder if I can really beat all these ninja... I suppose if it's a battle of skills I should be fine._

"We'll start the written test once you're all seated."

_Written test? Well, shit._


	8. Written Exam

Chapter 7: Written Exam

_I'm gonna cry_.

I was horrible at this sort of thing. I could ace practicals blindfolded, but written tests were painful. It became apparent this would be the most painful one of all, what with the myriad of rules. Not only that, but I was getting a killer headache too.

_Damn, all this nervous chakra is giving me a massive migraine- and I had to sit next to _him_ of all people._

I glanced to my left at the redhead. Even though his chakra was probably the calmest in the room, the sheer mass of it wasn't helping any. I wondered what kind of test-taker Gaara was though. I just didn't see him as the studious type.

_Probably more so than me... Yeah, I'm gonna cry. A shinobi shouldn't have to take written tests! Even if I could get one answer, Naruto certainly won't and the four of us will get kicked out on our butts!_

"Now then, begin!" Ibiki announced.

Everyone flipped over their tests. I stared at mine for a few moments. I scanned number one and decided it was too hard. So, I went to number two, then three, then four, but the questions just got increasingly hard.

_No one could answer these! What the hell is going on here?_

I looked over the room. Others seemed to have realized how ridiculous the questions were too. Sakura wasn't having a problem and Sasuke for whatever reason seemed amused. One look at Naruto and I knew we were done for. He was the perfect picture of a nervous wreck.

I sat up in my chair. These exams were designed to be difficult, but also to test our skills as shinobi.

_What's the trick here? They should know almost none of us would even understand these questions. Sakura and some others seem to know what they're doing... I'll just have to cheat! Even if I get caught doing it once, that's only two points off. It's better than getting a zero._

I pulled out the maneki neko and set it on the desk. I bit my thumb until it bled and rubbed the blood over the statue.

_I hope I did that jutsu right._

I concentrated my chakra on the statue. I could feel it respond.

"Kazuki, transform— condensed!" I whispered.

The pink maneki neko statue gained light in its eyes and slowly dropped it's pose to stand on four legs. The cat rubbed against my hand and purred.

_Victory!_

"Go, Kazuki. Get me some answers," I commanded.

Kazuki quietly meowed. The pink feline almost jumped off the desk to do as I'd asked, but stopped short when he looked to my left. I followed his line of sight. Kazuki started to walk to my left and I blanched when I realized where he was going. The naïve cat was going to _Gaara_ of all people for affection.

I quickly snatched Kazuki away and gestured for him to go and do as I'd told him. He huffed, but obeyed and jumped to the floor to make his way to Sakura, who seemed to be answering the questions at the speed of light.

My eyes followed Kazuki as he slowly made his way towards Sakura. I sighed. It'd take forever for him to get there and back.

_Dammit, why does condensed Kazuki have to be so slow? Well, okay, I guess that's a stupid question. He's denser, so he has to be slow. Ironically, he'd be more useful in a fight than expanded Kazuki._ I glanced over to Gaara. _Ugh, and why did I have to pick the cat that can't tell if a person is good or not? I don't know why he thought it'd be a good idea to go to Gaara, but he would have been crushed if I hadn't grabbed him._

I felt Gaara's chakra start to move. I peered over and noticed grains of sand gathering in his hand. An eye formed in his palm. Gaara put two fingers over his left eye and crushed the one in his hand, letting the sand drift.

_Clever. He made some sort of eye so he could look at someone's answers. The grains are too small to be followed and Gaara didn't even turn his head, so there's no proof that he could have cheated._

After a moment, Gaara began to write. I frowned and looked at the clock. There was still a half an hour left, but I wondered if Kazuki would be able to get back in time. Minutes ticked by and it was almost time for the tenth question when I felt Kazuki jump onto my lap. I picked him up and put a finger to his forehead.

_Show me what you saw, Kazuki._

An image of Sakura's paper formed in my mind. I was glad Sakura had such neat handwriting despite putting her answers down so fast. I smiled and retracted my finger.

"Good job, Kazuki. Now, reverse!" I murmured. Kazuki posed again and lost the light in his eyes, turning back into the statue.

_I better thank Teuchi and Ayame when this is over. I have no other jutsu that would help me here. I'd have been a goner._

I immediately set to work writing down the answers. I finished just as Ibiki addressed us again.

"Alright, here's the tenth question!"

_Hmph, I don't even need the tenth question now. I bet most of the remaining genin won't have a high enough total score. As long as Naruto gets it right, we'll be fine._

"However," he interrupted my train of thought, "Before I give you the tenth question, I need to tell you all about some rules that apply only to this question."

_WHAT?! More rules? What the hell is up with that?_

Just then, the back door creaked open. I turned around to see Kankuro and one of the sentries. My eyes narrowed, the sentry had chakra suspiciously similar to Kankuro's. Ibiki told him to sit down and I refocused on the proctor.

"Here are the rules, and try not to let them scare you. Rule one, each of you can choose not to be given the question. It's the individual's decision."

_And what's the catch?_

Temari seemed to have the same idea and voiced it.

"Rule two, regardless of your answer to the other nine, you'll get a zero if you refuse the tenth question and your team will fail."

"Then we'd obviously take the question," I announced. "What kind of rule is that?"

"Not so fast," he replied. "Let me finish. If you do take the tenth question and answer it incorrectly," he paused, "You will be banned from taking the chunin exam and will remain a genin for the rest of your life!"

"That's bull!" Kiba yelled. "There are plenty of people here who've taken the exam before!"

"Yes, but I wasn't making the rules before. This year I am, so I guess you're just unlucky. You can still skip it and try again next year." He chuckled.

I clenched my fists, _There's no way in hell I'm skipping out! I won't let his little speech scare me away!_ I gulped, _No way! No way am I gonna let it get to me._

"Those who don't want to take it, raise your hand. Your number will be recorded and you and your team will be free to go."

A few tense moments passed before a genin stood up and bowed out. The nervous chakra was making my headache worse. A bunch of other genin followed suit and I started to wonder if they were being smart. I shook my head, a true shinobi looks threats right in the face and refuses to be scared!

I looked at each of my teammates to gauge their resolve. Sakura was rightfully confident in her ability and so was Sasuke. I gaped when I saw Naruto slowly stand up.

_What's that loser doing?! What happened to never giving up, Naruto?_

Naruto suddenly slammed his hand down on the desk and looked straight at Ibiki.

"Don't underestimate me! No way you're gonna scare me away! Even if I'm a genin for the rest of my life, I'll still be hokage one day! Believe it! I don't quit and I don't run!"

_That's the spirit... you loser. _I reluctantly realized I was actually feeling some admiration towards him. His words made me sit up straighter and I realized Naruto had the same effect on the others in the room. They all became more confident in their decision to stay. It helped my headache too as the others' chakra calmed down.

"Now's your last chance. This decision could completely alter your life."

"I never go back on my word. That's the way of the ninja," Naruto declared.

_That's right. A true shinobi always finishes what they start. A true shinobi never gives up!_

"Well, I admire your determination if nothing else. Now, there's only one thing left to do, and that's for me to tell you," he paused dramatically, "Congratulations, you've all passed."

I blinked stupidly for a moment, _Say what now?_

"What do you mean we passed?" Sakura stood up, "Where's the tenth question?"

"The decision to stay or leave was the tenth question," Ibiki started to explain. "The rest of the questions were to test your ability to gather accurate information under extreme circumstances. I wanted to see how you'd handle the pressure of knowing your team was depending on you to get the correct answers."

"Yeah, I knew it all along. That's why I kept my cool," Naruto nodded. Hinata giggled beside him.

_He really didn't know this whole time? Jeez, that loser is such an idiot. I hadn't realized the purpose either, but at least I knew I needed to cheat!_

"The first nine questions were made to be too difficult for a genin. That's why I asked some chunin who already knew the answers to sit in with you all."

Two boys raised their hands. I noticed one was sitting directly in front of Naruto. My eye twitched as I thought about Naruto's idiocy. Naruto seemed to realize he should've had it easy too.

_Yep, admiration over. Time to go back to him being a stupid loser._

"Yeah," he laughed nervously, "You had to be a complete doofus to not realize that!"

"Those who were caught were failed. It was better not to cheat than to cheat clumsily. Such bad attempts could lead to false information in the field. False information can be even more dangerous than none at all. There'll be times you'll have to risk your life to get accurate information." Ibiki removed his bandana. Most of the class gasped at the sight of his marked up head.

_There are a bunch of scars and even puncture wounds and burns. This guy has some real battle scars right there_. I tugged at my turtleneck.

"And what about the tenth question?" Temari asked.

"You don't get it? The tenth question was the most important part."

"Enlighten us, will ya?" I told him.

"A chunin will face life and death situations. Their team may go on a mission with almost no information and even suspect the enemy is expecting them. So, what do you choose: to fight another day and stay alive or continue on? A real chunin needs the courage to face these missions. You must think only of the goal. That was the point of the tenth question. Those who would save themselves for the sake of honor don't deserve to be chunin."

_A shinobi needs to have courage. A shinobi should never back down!_

"You have all earned the right to continue on. I hereby declare this part of the exam completed. All of you have passed."

"Alright! We did it!" Naruto jumped up and down with a grin on his face. I rolled my eyes, but smiled nonetheless.

I felt a new chakra approach right as a woman with purple hair in a ponytail came crashing through the window with a banner. It read, "The Second Proctor: Anko Mirashi."

"Heads up! This is no time for celebrating! I'm your next proctor, Anko Mirashi. Ready for the second test?" She didn't wait for a response, "Good! Let's go! Follow me!"

Ibiki peeked out from behind the banner. "You're early. Again."

Anko blushed. I face-palmed at her antics. She looked around the room.

"Ibiki, you let all these guys pass? You're going soft."

"Or there's just an exceptional crop of candidates this year," he countered.

"Either way," Anko smirked, "There'll be less than half when I'm done with them!"

My eyes widened, _Less than half? Is the next exam going to be that extreme? There are, what, 29 teams left? Will more than 15 teams fail the next test?_ Chakra in the room spiked and my headache was back full-force. I gripped my head and groaned. I felt Gaara's eyes on me for a half-second.

"This is gonna be fun. You maggots have had it easy so far, but things are gonna be different starting first thing in the morning. I'll let your squad leaders know where you're to meet me. Dismissed."

I sighed in relief. The concentration of chakra was getting to be too much for me. I cursed my sensitivity.

Standing up, I followed the other genin outside and met up with Team 7.

"Well, that was dramatic," I noted. "I'm not even sure which part of that test was worse, the massive headache or the fact that I could've just slept through the damn thing until the tenth question."

"Headache?" Sakura said. I nodded.

"Yeah, so much nervous chakra in one room was too much. I need to work on my sensitivity to chakra, that's for sure." Naruto was still grinning like a maniac and jumping around like a monkey, "Now, though, our priority is being rested and ready for the next test. You losers better bring your game tomorrow."

Sasuke smirked, "That goes for you too, Haruka. Don't drag us down."

"I won't as long as you won't drag me down. I'm unstoppable."

"Let's hope we all are," Sakura mumbled.


End file.
